Operators will have enough scope for good business: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Consumers expect mobile operators to give them good service and as a minister it is my responsibility to keep on telling them, keep on persuading them, monitoring them so that they may reinforce their gaps, said Prasad.ET Now | Updated: May 11, 2016, 18:52 IST

From the day you took over, there was a lot of hope building on the fact that you will play for the interest of the consumer. You have said quality of service is a very important issue, so how big a setback is today’s Supreme Court order in that effect?

Ravi Shankar Prasad: I should be very frank with you. They have done something after we started monitoring in a very tough manner. They need to do more and I am very clear on this. As far as the judgment is concerned, the issue of TRAI regulations was on risk scrutiny, therefore TRAI also will have to need to take a call about it. But as far as government obligation is concerned, we shall continue to persuade and I would expect, I repeat, I expect the operators to heed to my appeal properly because digital India is expanding and they will have enough scope for good business.

But the Supreme Court in its order has made some very scathing observations. It said that the call drop compensation was arbitrary and non-transparent. Are you disappointed with the kind of language that has been used and will TRAI be doing some soul-searching here?

Ravi Shankar Prasad: Well that is entirely for TRAI to take a call on. I cannot make any comment as I have not read the judgement. But I can only say that the consumers expect mobile operators to give them good service and as a minister it is my responsibility to keep on telling them, keep on persuading them, monitoring them so that they may reinforce their gaps, and I am sorry to say I shall continue to do that.

The Supreme Court has said that the parliament has thrown the ball in your court. Will you be proactively looking at something like that?

Ravi Shankar Prasad: I am afraid I need to have a detailed structure understanding of the judgment then I will make a call.

Separately, RCom initiated contempt proceedings in the apex court against the Department of Telecommunications, blaming it for delaying a spectrum sale that would have enabled dues to be paid to Ericsson and lenders.